Want to be a ‘reel’ hero? Beware — danger lurks

Who doesn’t love those short videos — or reels — of a passerby rescuing a trapped animal?

Such a warm feeling. So sweet.

So dangerous.

What we tend to see are the successful rescues, not the ones gone horribly wrong.

Don’t put yourself in danger:
Maine, January 2021: A man tries to save a deer that has fallen through the ice. His boat capsizes, plunging him into the water. He had two things going for him: He was wearing a life vest, and the game warden was nearby. His body temperature was 89 degrees when he was rescued. The warden and sheriff rescued the deer.

Don’t put the animal in danger:
In India, a group of well-meaning people tried to rescue a cow that was somehow on the roof of a building. They got a crane and strapped the cow into a harness, but the cow tipped into the harness and fell to its death.

Don’t think the animal will be grateful:
Animals don’t have human emotions. Videos may say a rescued animal turned to thank his rescuers, but that is little more than human sentiment. In South America, a man tried to rescue a puppy from a ditch, but the mother dog attacked him.

Don’t put your own animals in danger:
In Illinois, a rescuer took in a family of raccoons but didn’t know that they had distemper. The ending was not sweet, and the animals did not live.

If you do see an animal in danger, but don’t have experience or the right tools, call the game warden, fire department, or sheriff.